Woolgar Lab

We study the neural basis for cognitive control, underpinning the incredible human capacity for diverse and flexible behaviour.

Our research uses multivariate analysis of different types of neuroimaging data (fMRI, E/MEG) often in combination with non-invasive brain stimulation (TMS-EEG, TMS-fMRI),  to study how information is represented, exchanged, and transformed between regions of the human brain. 

We focus on frontoparietal “multiple-demand” (MD) brain regions which appear to prioritise coding of task-relevant information, providing a neural basis for selective attention. We study the temporal dynamics and causal interactions of information coding in and between this and other brain networks, and seek to understand the links between neural processing and behaviour. 

Key applications of our work include predicting lapses of attention in tasks inspired by air and rail traffic monitors, and using our methods to study hidden cognitive ability in non-speaking autistic children.

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See video below for a brief overview of our research programme by our group leader, Dr Alex Woolgar: